Jacob Wade
2 min read
Gold is timeless. From coins to bars to jewelry, gold has been a form of currency and an investment for thousands of years.
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Over the past year — amid a volatile stock market — gold prices have seen a resurgence. And if you had invested just a year ago, you might have a bit more money than you started with.
Gold prices have risen quite a bit over the years. Currently, gold is priced at around $3,306 per ounce. This is nearly double the price of around $1,800 per ounce that gold was selling for just a few years ago.
Gold has also outpaced the S&P 500 in 2025 and over the past year. While gold has gained about 40% over the past year as of May 28, the S&P has seen a gain of about 12%.
This means gold investors are sitting pretty if they made a gold investment even just a year ago.
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On May 28, 2024, gold was trading at a spot price of about $2,360 per ounce. Today, gold is priced around $3,306 per ounce. That’s a 40% gain over the past year. While a $1,000 investment wouldn’t have been enough to purchase a full ounce of gold, an investor still could’ve seen a nice gain on a $1,000 gold investment.
A $1,000 investment that gained 40% over the past 12 months would be worth $1,400 today.
This is far better than investing in the stock market. A $1,000 investment in the S&P 500 a year ago would have netted you only around $120.
So yes, gold has been a great asset to own over the past year. Gold prices tend to spike during uncertainty, and with the recent U.S. election, global trade wars and market volatility, gold has been an opportunistic investment for keen investors.
But will gold continue to outperform? Historically, gold generally hasn’t outperform the stock market, especially when there is market stability.
However, if you are looking for an asset to help diversify your portfolio during uncertain times, gold has been a great one for thousands of years. But if you’re looking for market growth as a long-term investor, you may want to continue investing in the stock market and other growth assets as well.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: If You Invested $1,000 in Gold 1 Year Ago, Here’s How Much You’d Have Today
